Streets with the most Great War casualties

[MichaelBully]

I am going through the Roll of Honour for Hove; the names of the recognised Great War dead of the borough ( which of course in those days was independent from Brighton) , which appear on the memorial plaque of Hove Library. I have been trying to cross-reference with the CWGC and local press obituaries that are held by Hove Library.

So far I have found that Westbourne Street , the street next to where I live, had six Great War casualties; Westbourne Street currently has 91 houses: I also have to find a map of the time to check that Westbourne Street was the same street as it is now.

By comparrison, the street I live in currently has about the same number of houses, about the same length, and can only find one Great War casualty recorded.

It is too early for me to draw too many conclusions at this stage, but I am curious to hear what other people have discovered, and has anyone identified a street with the highest number of men who were known to have died in the Great War?

Regards

Michael Bully

[Nigel Marshall]

Hove and the great war. A record and a review, together with the roll of honour and list of distinctions (1920)

Hello Michael,

I assume you have this book: Hove and the Great War. A Record and a Review, together with the Roll of Honour and list of Distinctions (1920)

If not, just follow the link.

Of the men I'm looking into, the most from one street is three. I've also got two brothers from the same farm.

Cheers,

Nigel

[squirrel]

When I was trawling the CWGC records with regard to the names on the war memorial in Yiewsley, Middlesex, for the renovation last year, I found one road that had 73 houses and 5 casualties, two of whom were brothers from the same address and one their next door neighbour, and all serving with different regiments. Another road with three casualties and several with two.

[MichaelBully]

Thanks Nigel , I have seen the on line version of 'Hove and the Great War' and consulted the 'hard' copy of the book at Hove Reference Library.

It has been helpful

Regards

Michael

Hove and the great war. A record and a review, together with the roll of honour and list of distinctions (1920)

Hello Michael,

I assume you have this book: Hove and the Great War. A Record and a Review, together with the Roll of Honour and list of Distinctions (1920)

If not, just follow the link.

Of the men I'm looking into, the most from one street is three. I've also got two brothers from the same farm.

Cheers,

Nigel

[CarylW]

I've found seven men so far from the Queen's Buildings Birkenhead, which were the old Dock Cottages. Three were RWF, One Lincolnshire Regiment, one 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) and one in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve who went down on H.M.S. Goliath

Caryl

[Desmond7]

This post made me think. I could do a street and turn up some fair numbers.

However, I have always been amazed at the number of fatalities associated with a tiny triangle of townlands outside the village of Cullybackey in Co. Antrim (of which I attach a map from google). So I did an exercise.

Basically we are talking about a kilometre length of road with associated farms and houses surrounding a linen mill.

The three areas to look for are Craigs, Hillmount and Harperstown (a sub-section of Hillmount!). Believe me this is a TINY rural area and the statistics have shocked me. If I'd added in the men from the adjoining townlands it would have been a very long list indeed.

Keeping to the names above I have 22 dead. From guesswork I reckon there were maybe 60 (0dd) households along this road in 1914 era.

BURBY (Busby) William, S/5140, Private, 11 A&SH. KIA August 21, 1916. Thiepval Memorial, Somme. Born Craigs, Cullybackey. Comm. Cuningham Memorial, Pres. Church, Cullybackey.

CARSON, John, Private, 315th Inf. Regt. US Army. DOW 5/6 November , 1918. Killed Sedan, France. Buried Meuse Argonne cemetery.Lived Philadelphia. Third son of John and Margaret Carson, Craigs, Cullybackey. Comm. Cuningham Memorial, Cullybackey.

COCHRANE, John Harvey, 18891, Sgt. 12 R. Irish Rifles. KIA March 24, 1918 at St. Quentin. Named Pozieres Memorial, Somme. Aged 33, born Craigs. Wife Jeannie at 32, Harperstown, Cullybackey. Bro. of Thomas and Hugh (Canadian Forces).

COCHRANE Thomas Hill, 59175, Lce. Cpl. 21 Btn.E.Ontario regt. KIA November 11, 1915. Buried Ridge Wood Military Cemetery, Belgium. Son of John and Margaret Cochrane, Craigs, Cullybackey. Brother of John above. Brother Hugh was Lt. in Canadian forces.

GREENWOOD William Pte. 12th (S) Btn HLI. Died of wounds 31st July 1917. Service no. 19426 Aged 27, born Ballymena son of John and Isabella Greenwood of Broughdone. Enlisted Coatbridge, lived Airdrie. Buried Brandhoek New Mil. Cem. No. 3 Ypres. Comm. Cullybackey UF Church.

HARRIS Hugh Rfn. 11th R I Rifles. Died of wounds 9th August 1917. Service no. 720. Born Ahoghill, enlisted Ballymena. Only son of Robert Harris of Craigs. Buried Wieltje Farm Cem. Ypres. Comm. Cullybackey UF Church.

HAUGHTON Thomas Greenwood Lt. 12th R I Rifles. KIA 1st July 1916. Aged 25, son of Thomas and Catherine Haughton, Hillmount, Cullybackey. Buried Hamel Military Cem. Somme.

KENNEDY Arthur Rfn. 12th R I Rifles. KIA 16th August 1917. Service no 815. Aged 27, son of James and Jane Kennedy, Craigs. Lived at Broughdone, Cullybackey. Comm. Tyne Cot Memorial and Cullybackey UF Church.

KENNEDY Robert James Rfmn. 11th Btn RIRifles Died 1 July 1916. Service No. 630. Aged 28. Son of James and Jane Kennedy, Hillmount, Cullybackey. Comm. Thiepval Memorial and Cullybackey UF Church.

KERR Henry Pte. 58th Can. Inf. (Central Ontario). KIA 20th September 1916. Service no. 452004. Son of Henry Kerr, Craigs, Cullybackey. Buried Courcelette British Cemetery, France. Comm. Cuningham Memorial Pres. Church.

LAVERTY Arthur Pte. 11th (S) Btn. HLI. KIA 25th September 1915. Service no. 19470. Born Ballymena, enlisted Coatbridge. Son of Alex Laverty, Hillmount, Cullybackey. Comm. Loos Memorial and Cuningham Mem. Pres. Church.

LAVERTY Arthur Lcpl. 12th R I Rifles. KIA 13th October 1918. Service no. 6840. Born Craigs, enlisted Ballymena, lived Cullybackey. Buried Dadizeele British Cem. Belgium.

LAVERTY Alexander Private 38th Canadian Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regt.) Died of wounds 22nd December 1916.Service No: 410343. Son of Arthur Laverty of Hillmount, Culybackey. Buried St. sever Cem. Rouen. Comm. Cuningham Memorial.

McCARTNEY Robert Rfn, 12th R I Rifles. KIA 1st July 1916. Service no, 6357. Born USA, enlisted Ballymena. Lived Hillmount, Cullybackey. Comm. Thiepval Memorial and Cuningham Mem. Pres. Church.

McCOLLEN (McCollam?) Andrew Rfn. 8th R I Rifles. MIA 1st July 1916 (date of death given as 2nd July). Service no. 655. Born Craigs, enlisted Ballymena. Lived Main Street, Cullybackey. Comm. Thiepval memorial and Cullybackey UF Church.

McGOWAN James Pte. 1/5th Seaforths. KIA 17th September 1916. Service no. 4550. Eldest son of James McGowan, Hillmount, Culybackey. Buried Cite Bonjean Cem. Armentieres. Comm. Cuningham Mem. and Cullybackey UF Churches.

McWHIRTER (or Mewhirter) William Pte. 2 Cameronians. KIA 20/24 July 1916. Service no. 8798. Born Craigs, Cullybackey. Enlisted Hamilton, lived Motherwell. Buried Chambrin Churchyard Ext. Pas De Calais, France. Comm. Cullybackey UF Church.

MILLAR Benjamin Rfn. 12th R I Rifles. KIA 21st may, 1918. Service no. 18/627. Aged 24, son of Damuel and Alice J. Millar, Harperstown, Cullybackey.Buried New irish Farm Cem. Belgium. Comm. Cuningham Memorial Pres. Church.

RICE William Pte. 10th R Innis. Fus. KIA 1st July 1916. Lived Craigs, Cullybackey, enlisted Ballymena. Parents at 29 Glu Street, Paisley. Buried Connaught Cem. Somme.

SLOAN Albert Edward CQMS 8th R Ir. Fus. (f. 2340 Connaught Rangers) KIA 5th September 1916. Service no. 21191. Born Craigs, Co. Antrim, enlisted Belfast. Husband of Catherine Sloan, Leeson Street, Falls Road, Belfast. Comm. Thiepval Memorial.

SMYTH James Cpl. 12th R I Rifles. KIA 1st July 1916. Servie no. 19211. Son of John Smyth, Craigs. Lived Cullybackey. Comm. Thiepval Memorial.

WYLIE Alexander Pte. 2nd Manchester Regt. Died 18/11/1916. Service no. 41583. Husband of Annie, 17 Rope Street, Oldham. 27 year old son of Alex Wylie of Harperstown, Cullybackey. Comm. Thiepval Memorial.

and just a wounded list from 1st day on Somme.

(Later found to be a POW) Mr. Wilson Kirkpatrick, Craigs, Cullybackey, has been officially notified that his son Rfn. Wilson Kirkpatrick, 12th Royal Irish Rifles (CAV) has been killed in action. Rfn. Kirkpatrick, who resided with his parents, was an employee at Messrs. Frazer and Haughton’s Hillmount Works. he joined the army a year ago and had been at the front for six months

Rfn. J. Armstrong 12Btn. RIR (C.A.V) is wounded, He belongs to Hillmount, Cullybackey. He enlisted in October 1914 prior to which he was a tailor in Mr. Hepple’s Wellington Street, Ballymena.

The father of Rfn. James Duff, Royal Irish Rifles (Ulster Division) who resides at Hillmount, Cullybackey, has received information that his son had been wounded in the right eye. Before joining the colours, Rfn. Duff was employed in the Hillmount Works and was a member of Hillmount UVF.

Rfn. Samuel Watt RIR (CAV) wounded, belongs to Harperstown, Cullybackey. He was formerly employed in the firm of Messrs. Frazer and Haughton, Hillmount, Cullybackey.

Rfn. Henry Watt, Royal Irish Rifles MG section, who is seriously wounded on the head, is the husband of Mrs. Watt, Hillmount Cullybackey. He was a member of the UVF and he is a brother of Rfn. Samuel Watt, who is also wounded (see above). he was an employee of Frazer and Haughton.

Rfn. David Rock and Rfn. Ben Millar, RIR (CAV) belonging to Harperstown, Cullybackey are both ill in hospital. They took part in the attack on July 1st.

News has been received by Mr. John Greenwood, Broughdone, Cullybackey, that his son Pte. William Greenwood Highland Light Infantry has been wounded in action. Pte. Greenwood was formerly employed in the Maine Works, Cullybackey but was in Scotland at the outbreak of war where he enlisted.

Mr. James Johnston, Hillmount, Cullybackey has received information that his son, Rfn. Hugh Johnston of the Royal Irish Rifles (Ulster Division) has been wounded in action. Before joining the colours he was an employee in the Hillmount Works and a member of the UVF and Dunminning LOL.

[KevinBattle]

Geoff's produces 20, some of which are on your list, the others may not be in that specific triangle, but....

001 COCHRANE JH 18891 12TH BN 24/03/1918 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

002 FRATER J 21818 4TH BN 28/10/1918 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

003 GLASS R 18998 12TH BN 28/06/1918 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

004 GREENWOOD W 19426 12TH BN 31/07/1917 HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY

005 HARBISON J 17891 2ND BN 03/07/1916 ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS

006 HAUGHTON TG - 12TH BN 01/07/1916 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

007 KENNEDY A 815 12TH BN 16/08/1917 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

008 KENNEDY RJ 630 11TH BN 01/07/1916 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

009 KENNEDY A 3794 11TH BN 08/08/1917 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

010 KILPATRICK C 3/3667 1ST BN 06/11/1917 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS

011 LOGAN J 17/786 8TH BN 05/04/1917 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

012 LOWRY J 891 14TH BN 16/08/1917 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

013 MCANALLY H 6/2795 6TH BN 23/03/1916 CONNAUGHT RANGERS

014 MCCORD W 3450 1ST/8TH BN 13/11/1916 ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS

015 MCFALL J 682 19TH BN 08/07/1916 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

016 MCILROY J 11929 6TH BN 26/09/1915 ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS

017 MCMASTER W 939 9TH BN 07/08/1917 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

018 MILLAR B 18/627 12TH BN 21/05/1918 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

019 MONTGOMERY S 112 22ND ENTRENCHING BN, LATE 11TH/13TH BN 23/03/1918 ROYAL IRISH RIFLES

020 STEVELEY E 43963 15TH BN 30/10/1918 MACHINE GUN CORPS (INFANTRY)

plus

001 WILSON R 58104 20TH BN 05/04/1916 CANADIAN INFANTRY (CENTRAL ONTARIO REGIMENT).

It's obvious that there was a huge number of casualties, and that some areas where entire Battalions of "Pals" etc were decimated that there are going to be "hot spots" but it is still sobering to see....

[NeilEvans]

Only Shropshire one that stands out is Aqueduct Lane, now in Telford.

6 of the 8 men on the memorial resided there. 2 sets of 2 brothers died and they were neighbours. So 4 men in 2 houses. In one of the mentioned houses a chap died in WW2.

Neil

[MichaelBully]

Thanks for all the information, much appreciated.Interesting to learn about other members' work. I will report back as the research progresses. Westbourne Street, with its high casualty rate, really has made me think. Having so many bereaved families so near each other in a terraced street must have had an impact. The amount of casual contact the said families concerned may have had. I don't want to indulge in too much speculation, but one can't help but wonder how they responded to each other.

Only Shropshire one that stands out is Aqueduct Lane, now in Telford.

6 of the 8 men on the memorial resided there. 2 sets of 2 brothers died and they were neighbours. So 4 men in 2 houses. In one of the mentioned houses a chap died in WW2.

Neil

[CarylW]

Michael

You've started something now! I was going to do a 'street study' when I'd completed the project because I had noticed patterns but since you asked

Now found 15 men from Price Street Birkenhead, numbers 22, 54, 187, 189, 240 312 337 340 355 377 414 446 458 464 472

I'm shocked there are so many from one street. Looks like a cluster down one end, many around the same age. They would have known each other, perhaps attending the same schools. 2 RGA, 1 South Staffords, 1 Manchester, 1 RWF, 3 Cheshires, 3 Liverpool Scottish, 1 Northumberland Fus., 1 Irish Guards, 1 Mercantile Marine, went down on SS Drina (Belfast), 1 King's Shropshire Light Infantry

(10th (Shropshire and Cheshire Yeomanry) Bn.)

I'll look at maps tomorrow

Caryl

[CT-Guards]

Not done any research to confirm but some of the Pals Battalions were very concentrated in local areas, also the attached roll of honour for the sons of Julia Annie Souls - 5 from the same house

[Desmond7]

The 'Key' to the list I have posted is yet to be sorted. I've done more research and this small area seems to have taken an awful hammering. In fact the wounds and KIA for the entire village (and it is not/was not) very big were atrocious.

Bear in mind that many of these boys in 12th R I Rilfes would all have been good mates from the Frazer and Haughton Works, sobering.

[bruce]

Durants Cottages in Maghull are now four tumble-down little cottages by the railway line. They are two-up, two down, three of them in a poor state of repair.

Two of the casualties on the local war memorial lived there before the Great War.

Bruce

[CarylW]

18 from Borough rd, Birkenhead. 2 Cheshires, 2 Mercantile Marine, 1 going down on HMS Laurentic, 1 on SS Hesperian, 2 KRRC, 2 RGA, 1 RN, 1 RFC, 1 Royal Scots, 1 East Lancs, 1 South Lancs, 1 Manchester, 1 RWF, 2 Lancs Fus, 1 ASC

This is a long road that passes through several different communities though

Crossing the Mersey, 34 from Scotland rd Liverpool

Caryl

[David B]

Whilst I haven't done any research on the subject, thought that a trawl through Pals Battalions could possibly turn up some streets with a large number

of deaths. As some of the battalions were drawn from the same area it makes sense to me that these are the ones to look for.

David

[eltoro1960]

The street I live in , 60 houses - 12 dead (including my Granny's brother), 6 in the first 7 houses,one set of brothers within a few weeks of each other. You could not get your head around that happening today.

John

Pte George Aitken S/18461 Cameron Highlanders ,5th Battalion 2 The Square, Newtongrange. KIA

Pte Thomas Douglas 4639 Royal Scots, 8th Battalion “A” Coy 23 The Square, Newtongrange KIA

Pte Charles Gibson S/26739 Seaforth Highlanders, 1st / 4th Battalion 1 The Square Newtongrange KIA

Pte Walter Hogg CH/18654 Royal Marine Light Infantry , Deal Bn. R.N. Div 48 The Square, Newtongrange KIA

Sgt Richard Peacock 4294 Royal Scots, 8th Battalion 32 The Square, Newtongrange KIA

Pte Alexander Peggie 265633 3rd County of London Yeomanry (The Sharpshooters) 38 The Square, Newtongrange. KIA

Pte William Pryde S/2502 Gordon Highlanders, 1st Battalion 5 The Square, Newtongrange. KIA

Pte Robert Pryde 9117 Scots Guards, 1st Battalion 5 The Square, Newtongrange. KIA

Pte James King Rutherford 41463 Kings Own Scottish Borderers, 2nd Battalion 15 The Square, Newtongrange. KIA

Sgt William Pentland Simpson 85189 Royal Field Artillery ""A"" Bty. 187th brigade.Son of James Simpson 7 The Square, Newtongrange. KIA

LCpl William Sneddon Wilson 17038 Highland Light Infantry, 10th / 11th Battalion A Coy2nd Eldest son of Mr & Mrs James Wilson 45 The Square, KIA

Pte David Wright S/4215 Black Watch, 9th Service Battalion 29 The Square, Newtongrange KIA

[Susan Tall]

In the small town of Kenilworth, Spring Lane consisted of about twenty terraced cottages from which 13 men died, including two sets of brothers.

An adjoining street had 10 die, including two brothers.

This was a working class area of the town with large families and you can imagine the parent's hearts sinking when they saw telegrams being delivered.

[Steve Bramley]

The men listed below were all members of the 1/5th Lincolns and lived in Trafford Street, Scunthorpe.

William Henry Richardson 1190 Number 15 KIA 13.10.15

Charles Henry Holt 1435 Number 24 KIA 22.08.17

James Darlow 4366 Number 31 KIA 04.10.18

Wilson Marshall Jackson 1065 Number 38 Wnd 27.05.15 26.06.15 13.10.15

Reginald Cuthbert 1801 Number 39 Wnd

Hubert William Horne 3648 Number 43 KIA 30.09.15

Robert Fletcher 3045 Number 51

Noel Cox 4150 Number 55 MM+ Bar Wnd 19.06.17

Alexander Graham 1236 Number 63 Wnd 20.05.15

Thomas Hall 4442 Number 74

Arthur Chant 4447 Number 78 Wnd 19.06.17

Steve

[CarylW]

23 men from Brook street. Birkenhead (this street runs parallel to Price st, mentioned in earlier post)

House numbers 30, 97, 98, 102, 119, 131, 154, 166, 167, 167, 172, 238, 251, 253, 280, 280, 289, 311, 315, 373, 380, 403, 411

11 Cheshire Reg, 1 KSLI, 1 North Stafford Reg, 1 RFA, 3 Mercantile Marine, 1 SWB, 3 RN, 1 RE, 1 KLR, 1 Leinster, 1 RAMC

Lot of neighbours, two brothers, two stepbrothers. What a sad street that must have been 4 of them are not listed on the town memorial

. Sobering, as Des said, but fascinating

Edit: I'm now putting a section on the casualties of Birkenhead street by street on the Birkenhead Memorial site

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~birkenhead1418/Streets.html

Caryl

[Borden Battery]

This interactive map shows the density of casualties in the City of Toronto, Canada. Worth a look. Borden Battery

Toronto Star - Blog: Map of the Week: Riverdale's First World War dead (November 2009)

The Toronto Star is Canada's largest daily newspaper, with the largest readership in the country. Established 1892 with Joseph E. Atkinson, Publisher, 1899-1948. This blog site entry from November 2009 maps out the impact of the fatal casualties of the Great War in a small subdivision of Toronto. [Recommended by Richard Laughton][CEF Study Group - Sept 2010]

http://thestar.blogs.com/maps/2009/11/nov11-draft.html

[MichaelBully]

I want to revisit this thread: discussing my initial comparrison between Westbourne Gardens and Westbourne Street in Hove and the number of Great War casualties with my landlord. He has pointed out that even though I had taken into account that Westbourne Street was longer ( though of course towns can re-name streets) but said Westbourne Street would have had many more families living in each house... most houses in Westbourne Gardens would have one family for each house.

So taking into account the density of population, one would expect more Great War dead to come from Westbourne Street as quite simply more families lived there.

Will check out the 1911 census to see if this can throw more light on the matter.

[DMcNay]

Having been checking the transcription of the Glasgow Roll of Honour, I did a quick search of some of the street names.

These figures are not complete, as we still have a number of pages to input to the master version, but so far (to pick a few examples):

Argyle Street has 94 men listed.

Pollok Street has 42 entries.

Duke Street has 121 men listed.

Unfortunately with the passing of time it's not possible to confirm if this is where they lived or where they worked.

[MichaelBully]

Thanks for the information. Yes, addresses on a Roll of Honour are open to interpretation as it were. A man might be termporarily resident somewhere for a variety of reasons,, or as you say, the address given might be a place of work.

Or even given the address of the next of kin . Still interested in cross referencing with the 1911 cencus.

Having been checking the transcription of the Glasgow Roll of Honour, I did a quick search of some of the street names.

These figures are not complete, as we still have a number of pages to input to the master version, but so far (to pick a few examples):

Argyle Street has 94 men listed.

Pollok Street has 42 entries.

Duke Street has 121 men listed.

Unfortunately with the passing of time it's not possible to confirm if this is where they lived or where they worked.

[BridieP]

Kings Grove, Maidenhead, Berkshire (a short road with 10 houses in WW1) lost 6 men, 3 of them brothers.

1915 Pte. David Joynson, no. 18. 1916 Sgt. Henry Scott no. 12. 1916 Sgt. Maj. Alfred Scott. no 12. 1917 Lt. Alfred Beadell. no 8. 1917 Cpl. Gerge Whitmill no. 14

1918 Sgt. Douglas Scott. no. 12. The houses are still there.

[toofatfortakeoff]

Hmmm Vaults Lane Barton Upon Humber everyone dead I think definitely the 3 Franklin brothers and John Kirk Adlard-at Beaumontcote (farm area near Barton-two dead one persistent deserter one blinded. Queens Avenue got hit really badly I can supply a list and Pasture Road in Berton upon Humber again.